Picture in your mind's eye a tall, gaunt, melancholic figure--a
product of the wilderness--not handsome but of noble character, of
commanding appearance, indomitable courage, and magnetic
personality--picture this and you have a mental vision of Henry Clay.
His voice was powerful, as his logic was keen and convincing. He was
resourceful in sarcasm, wit and satire, which made him an opponent to
be feared in debate. His time was contemporaneous with such giants
as John Calhoun, the silver-tongued son of the South, and Daniel
Webster, the favored orator of Massachusetts. It was the "Golden Age
of American Oratory," but in the legislative councils of the nation
Henry Clay towered above them all, admittedly America's most popular
statesman. Notwithstanding this, the Presidency was denied him twice
by an ungrateful republic, merely because he dared be right rather
than be President. This is the spirit that should inspire our young
men of to-day, and fit them for true leadership.